title: Surfactant therapy: past, present and future.
abstract: Surfactant replacement in preterm infants with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) has been a major therapeutic breakthrough and the most intensively studied intervention in neonatal medicine. Surfactant whether given prophylactically in the delivery room or in babies with established RDS reduces the severity of RDS, the incidence of air leaks and pneumothorax and, most importantly, neonatal death. Many randomized controlled trials have explored different strategies to optimize the effect of surfactant administration and have further improved neonatal outcome. Whenever indicated, surfactant should be administered as early as possible in the course of the RDS.
authors.affiliation: University Children's Hospital, University of Würzburg, Josef-Schneider-Strasse 2, Würzburg, Germany. speer_c@klinik.uni-wuerzburg.de
authors.forename: Christian P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Speer
authors.forename: David G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Sweet
authors.forename: Henry L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Halliday
mesh_terms: D001688:Biological Products / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003696:Delivery Rooms; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011030:Pneumothorax / Q000188:drug therapy; D011663:Pulmonary Surfactants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012127:Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D001688:Biological Products; D010743:Phospholipids; D011663:Pulmonary Surfactants; C068291:poractant alfa; C072197:beractant